Donald Trump has sweeping plans for a second administration. Here’s what he’s proposed

October 12, 2025

MIT Rejects Trump Pact

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology yesterday became the first university to respond to the Trump administration's offer of priority access to federal funding in exchange for campus reforms, rejecting the pact. The 10-point proposal, sent to nine schools last week, calls for measures including international student enrollment caps, bans on considering gender and race in admissions and hiring, and tuition freezes. Read here.

In an open letter to the Department of Education, MIT President Sally Kornbluth expressed concern that the compact could limit the university’s freedom of expression and independence. She said MIT already upholds many of the compact’s principles—such as rewarding merit and promoting free speech—but argued tying funding to anything other than scientific merit conflicts with the research institution's core values. The eight other schools are still reviewing the compact. The White House has given them until Oct. 20 to provide limited feedback and until Nov. 21 to make a decision.

The Trump administration this year has frozen billions in federal funding to several schools, citing antisemitism and DEI initiatives.

October 13, 2025

Trump directs the Pentagon to use ‘all available funds’ to ensure troops are paid despite shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Saturday that he has directed the Defense Department to use “all available funds” to ensure U.S. troops are paid Wednesday despite the government shutdown, a short-term fix that will not apply to the hundreds of thousands of federal workers who have been furloughed.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-military-pay-troops-government-shutdown-8601ea092fe746cc35b88076e70c4598?

Court: National Guard troops sent to Illinois by Trump can stay but can’t be deployed for now

CHICAGO (AP) — National Guard troops sent to Illinois by President Donald Trump can stay in the state and under federal control, but can’t be deployed to protect federal property or go on patrol for now, an appeals court ruled Saturday.

https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-troops-memphis-chicago-trump-96d489ab1b325c90da6f75a23efcf479?

October 13, 2025

? Trump's Rx for confusion

When President Trump announced a deal with UK-based AstraZeneca on Friday to lower prescription drug costs, it was a clear sign he'd paused his commerce secretary's push to slap 100% tariffs on pharmaceuticals that aren't manufactured in the U.S., Axios' Marc Caputo and Alex Isenstadt report.

Why it matters: Prescription drug policy and tariffs are both big priorities of Trump's administration. But after the two issues collided in a conflicting series of White House messages recently, Trump set aside the tariffs idea, which could have made drugs more expensive for many Americans.

The road to that decision was rocky — a reflection of Trump's uneven management style, especially on tariffs, where policies can be made on the fly, changed at his whim, and then get fine-tuned in real time.

Trump Cabinet secretaries sometimes operate with such independence that they encroach on each other's turf.

In this case, it was Commerce Secretary (and tariffs cheerleader) Howard Lutnick on one side initially, and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the other.

Kennedy's department has been negotiating with drug companies as part of Trump's "most favored nation" prescription drug plan to lower drug costs for Americans.

? Behind the scenes: Within the White House, the conflict came to a head on Sept. 25, during a going-away party for departing senior adviser Taylor Budowich.

About the same time that evening, Lutnick was in the Oval Office after a previously scheduled meeting about tariffs on heavy trucks and furniture.
Trump and Lutnick then began talking about pharmaceutical tariffs, a source said. And at 7:24 p.m., Trump posted that he'd impose the 100% tariff on prescription drugs produced outside the country.

Trump's post caught everyone off guard: Kennedy, Medicare and Medicaid Administrator Mehmet Oz, senior White House officials and the drug companies negotiating with them. None had been consulted about the announcement.

It prompted White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles to have a one-on-one meeting with Lutnick to convey their concerns.

"Susie just had enough," a Trump adviser familiar with the discussion told Axios. "There's a process for 'most favored nations' and there's a schedule and there's a plan."

"Next thing you know, Lutnick just comes in and doesn't tell anyone this, and Kennedy and Oz see the [Truth Social] post and were like, 'What the f**k?' So Susie had to un-f**k it."

The message was received. Five days after that going-away party, Lutnick joined Trump at a news conference to announce a deal with Pfizer in which the commerce secretary made clear that the tariff plan was paused.

On Friday, Lutnick joined Kennedy in signing the paperwork for a new deal with AstraZeneca, which is based in Cambridge, England, and has agreed to build a plant near Charlottesville, Va.

Kennedy praised Lutnick for being "key to the negotiations," as did the White House, in a statement crediting the "impactful" secretary as a crucial member of Trump's trade and economic team who helped secure the deals with the pharmaceutical companies.

Keep reading.

October 13, 2025

Trump says inflation is ‘defeated’ and the Fed has cut rates, yet prices remain too high for many

WASHINGTON (AP) — Troops patrol train stations and streets in the nation’s capital. Masked federal law enforcement agents detain District of Columbia residents. Congress passes bills that further squeeze the city’s autonomy. And the one person who could act as a voice for Washington on Capitol Hill has been a rare sight.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-washington-eleanor-holmes-norton-federal-intervention-8dc90cfb34e8692db2d7ff4f609ebb68?

Trump’s intervention in Washington prompts calls for its 18-term House delegate to step down

WASHINGTON (AP) — Troops patrol train stations and streets in the nation’s capital. Masked federal law enforcement agents detain District of Columbia residents. Congress passes bills that further squeeze the city’s autonomy. And the one person who could act as a voice for Washington on Capitol Hill has been a rare sight.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-washington-eleanor-holmes-norton-federal-intervention-8dc90cfb34e8692db2d7ff4f609ebb68?

Did Qatari Money Drive Trump’s Push for Gaza Ceasefire?

The notion that President Donald Trump’s recent push toward a ceasefire in Gaza may have been motivated, in large part, by his failed campaign to win a Nobel Peace Prize is well-documented. Less discussed is Trump’s close relationship with Qatar — a Gulf state ally where he, his family, friends, and the U.S. have increasingly significant ties.

https://theintercept.com/2025/10/11/qatar-trump-gaza-ceasefire/?

The Trump Administration Is Hiding How Many Pregnant People Are in ICE Detention

The putrid smell emanating from breakfast turned Daniela’s stomach, which wailed internally from hunger and nausea. For months, she had lived mostly on bread and the pantry items she could cobble together from the commissary in her ICE detention facility. Pregnant and trapped at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, she felt the gnawing of hunger and isolation.

https://theintercept.com/2025/10/10/ice-detention-pregnant-immigrants/?

October 14, 2025

Naked bike riders demonstrate against federal troops in ‘quintessentially Portland’ protest

Protesters rallying against the Trump administration in Portland put the city’s quirky and irreverent reputation on display Sunday by pedaling through the streets wearing absolutely nothing — or close to it — in an “emergency” edition of the annual World Naked Bike Ride. Read more.

Why this matters:

The bike ride is an annual tradition that usually happens in the summer, but organizers of this weekend’s hastily called event said another nude ride was necessary to speak out against President Donald Trump’s attempts to mobilize the National Guard to quell protests.
Crowds that have gathered daily and nightly outside the immigration facility in Oregon’s largest city in recent days have embraced the absurd, donning inflatable frog, unicorn, axolotl and banana costumes as they face off with federal law enforcement who often deploy tear gas and pepper balls.
The city is awaiting the ruling of an appeals court panel on whether Trump can send in the federalized troops after a federal judge on Oct. 5 ordered a temporary hold on deployment.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

October 14, 2025

Trump urges leaders to put ‘old feuds’ aside as he calls for a new era of harmony in the Middle East

SHARM EL SHEIKH, Egypt (AP) — President Donald Trump called for a new era of harmony in the Middle East on Monday during a global summit on Gaza’s future, trying to advance broader peace in the region after visiting Israel to celebrate a U.S.-brokered ceasefire with Hamas.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-israel-hamas-war-ceasefire-hostages-egypt-6347e7da64f6c97b95109558096c0b6c?

October 14, 2025

Trump's victory lap

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Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and President Trump sign a Gaza ceasefire deal today in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

☮️ President Trump traveled from Israel to Egypt today to formally sign the Gaza peace agreement and urge regional leaders to move "toward a great, glorious and lasting peace," Axios' Barak Ravid reports.

Trump told the two dozen assembled leaders: "We have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to put the old feuds and bitter hatreds behind us."

"Now the rebuilding begins," he added.

A drone view of packed Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, today. Photo: Matanya Tausig/Reuters

In Jerusalem early in the day, Trump offered a similar message on the importance of maintaining peace to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Trump went off-script during his address to the Knesset, Israel's parliament. He urged Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Netanyahu, who's standing trial on three corruption charges.

Between the lines: It's a stunning intervention in Israel's domestic politics and judicial system.

Trump has weighed in on Netanyahu's trial before. But in his speech, he went further to boost his ally's domestic political standing.

Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before Trump's address to the Knesset. Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

? "I have an idea, Mr. President. Why don't you give him a pardon?"

"Cigars and champagne, who the hell cares about this?" Trump said, referring to alleged illicit gifts mentioned in one of the charges.

Both Israelis and Palestinians celebrated as Hamas freed the last living 20 hostages and Israel released dozens of Palestinian prisoners.

Trump will be awarded Israel's Presidential Medal of Honor for his role in brokering the peace deal, The Times of Israel reports.

More coverage by Barak.

October 14, 2025

Trump's next target

President Trump — during his triumphal address in Jerusalem yesterday to the Knesset, Israel's parliament — said he may call back his envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, for an Iran deal.

"But first we have to get Russia done," Trump added. "We gotta get that one done. [Laughter] If you don't mind, Steve, let's focus on Russia first. All right? We'll get it, though."

Trump's quest to end the Russia-Ukraine war will be the backdrop on Friday when he meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House.

Why it matters: The two will discuss what weapons should be supplied to Ukraine, specifically if the U.S. should provide game-changing, long-range Tomahawk missiles to the war-torn country, Axios' Barak Ravid and Josephine Walker write.

"There are certain issues that can't be discussed on the phone," a source told Axios.

?? Zelensky confirmed in a Monday post on X that he will discuss "a series of steps that I intend to propose" with Trump.

The Ukrainian president said that, as Trump proposed, he would meet with energy companies "because there are pressing needs linked to various formats of attacks, not even the attacks that Russia has already carried out."
The main focus of the visit, Zelensky said, will be air defense and Ukraine's long-range capabilities.

✈️ Trump told reporters on Sunday aboard Air Force One that during a phone call, he and Zelensky had discussed the possibility of the U.S. giving Ukraine Tomahawks and additional Patriot air defense systems.

Zelensky has argued that additional firepower will force Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table.

Trump said he "might have to speak to Russia" about the Tomahawks.

"Do they want to have Tomahawks going in their direction? I don't think so. I told that to President Zelensky, because Tomahawks are a new step of aggression," Trump said.

"I might say: 'Look, if this war is not gonna get settled, I may send them Tomahawks.' Russia doesn't need that. I think it is appropriate to bring that up."

October 14, 2025

? Trump: Perhaps "the greatest deal of them all, period"

President Trump, who returned to the White House at 2:53 a.m. after his 36-hour whirlwind trip to the Middle East, thanked his fellow world leaders at yesterday's peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, for assembling on "this quick, quick notice."

The ceasefire and hostage-release agreement, he said, "all came together just at one little period — it just came together. ... The greatest deals happen that way. If you [know] anything about deals — it's all I've done all my life is deals. The greatest deals just sort of happen. And that's what happened right here. And maybe this is gonna be the greatest deal of them all — not just nation-building, not just having to do with ... the political whims."

"This will be, maybe, the greatest deal of them all, period."

? What's next: The N.Y. Times, noting that "[r]arely has an American president ... been met with such adulation abroad," reports that "just beneath the surface, there were obvious differences over the future of Gaza, and even over whether the cease-fire that is finally allowing food and medicine to flow into the territory would necessarily lead to a lasting peace."

"Except for brief references, Mr. Trump did not talk about what it would take to rebuild Gaza, or the future of the Palestinian people, or the trade-offs between creating a Palestinian state and its alternatives," David E. Sanger and Erika Solomon write.

Read the document: "The Trump Declaration for Enduring Peace and Prosperity."

October 14, 2025

Federal employees in mental health and disease control were among targets in weekend firings

Hundreds of federal employees working on mental health services, disease outbreaks, and disaster preparedness were among those hit by the Trump administration’s mass firings over the weekend, current and laid-off workers said Monday, as the administration aimed to pressure Democratic lawmakers to give in and end the nearly two-week-long government shutdown. Read more.

Why this matters:

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through its agencies, is responsible for tracking health trends and disease outbreaks, conducting and funding medical research, and monitoring the safety of food and medicine, as well as administering health insurance programs for nearly half the country. Among the HHS agencies facing staff cuts were the CDC, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, according to current and laid-off employees who spoke with The Associated Press.
Former staffers and health professionals said they were concerned the layoffs could have negative health impacts and make it difficult for HHS agencies to fulfill their obligations set by Congress. HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said the laid off employees were deemed nonessential.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

October 14, 2025

Trump Calls for Nemesis to ‘Beg’ Him for Help in Unhinged Rant

The president remains determined to target Democratic cities with a hardline crime crackdown.

Donald Trump has suggested that Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker should “beg” him for help in cracking down on crime in Chicago.

A reporter aboard Air Force One asked Trump on Monday if he had anything to say to the Democratic governor, as the two are locked in a fierce dispute over the administration’s attempts to deploy National Guard troops into Chicago.

“I think he should beg for help, because he’s running a bad operation, and he’s letting people be killed in his city,” Trump said. “I love Chicago. Chicago can be a great city again, and very quickly, I would have Chicago cleaned out and criminals removed.”

Trump cited his previous federal crackdown on crime in Washington, D.C.—which saw the National Guard and Marines assist with law enforcement as well as litter cleanup—claiming the capital has “never been so safe.”

“I can do the same thing but on a larger scale in Chicago. And Pritzker should ask me to do it,” Trump added.

Pritzker, 60, has accused Trump, 79, of “truly unconstitutional actions” as the president attempts to deploy National Guard troops into Chicago despite objections from the governor and other political leaders. Trump has openly called for Pritzker to be arrested. Around 200 Texas National Guard troops and 300 soldiers from the Illinois National Guard have been activated in the greater Chicago area, but are not currently on active duty.

A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deploying the National Guard in Illinois, dismissing the president’s claim that the city is so overrun with crime that it amounts to a “war zone.”

Pritzker also blasted Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s calls for his arrest over highly dubious claims that he is failing to protect ICE officers during protests in Chicago.

“They’re making things up to go after people,” Pritzker told ABC News’ This Week. “I’m going to stand up for the people of my state. And we’ve got to all stand together because there are truly unconstitutional actions coming out of this administration, coming at the states and the people of the United States, and all of us, Democrats and Republicans, need to speak out about it.”

Elsewhere, Trump hinted to reporters on Air Force One that he is prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act—which allows the president to deploy the military on U.S. soil to tackle domestic unrest—to continue his hardline crackdown on Democratic-led cities.

“I can do that, and many presidents have. Fifteen percent of presidents have used the Insurrection Act because they don’t want to go through this stuff. But somebody said there’s no crime, and 4,000 people got shot,” Trump said.

The Insurrection Act has been invoked 30 times in U.S. history by 16 presidents. The last time it was used was by George H.W. Bush in response to the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

The Daily Beast has contacted Pritzker’s office for comment.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-calls-for-nemesis-jb-pritzker-to-beg-him-for-help-in-unhinged-rant/?

October 14, 2025

Trump’s Beauty Queen Prosecutor Begins Purging DOJ Office

The top prosecutor behind the Comey and James indictments is making more staffing changes in the office.

U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan is leaving her mark on the Justice Department with the ousting of top prosecutor Maggie Cleary.

Cleary briefly served as the top prosecutor in the U.S. attorney’s office in the Eastern District of Virginia, but she has been removed from the office, according to CNN.

It is not clear whether Cleary remains at the Justice Department. A spokesperson declined to comment to the Daily Beast, and attempts to reach Cleary directly were not immediately returned.

Cleary’s reported departure is the latest in a series of exits, as the Justice Department moves forward with its prosecutions against U.S. President Donald Trump’s perceived foes.

Halligan—a former beauty queen turned Trump personal attorney—was elevated to the top post after U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert resigned under presidential pressure against Trump’s political foes.

Halligan has moved quickly to execute the president’s wishes, which he had laid out publicly.

Despite having no previous prosecutorial experience, Halligan has moved forward to secure indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Halligan is reportedly interested in moving around prosecutors who, she believes, oppose her work on politically charged cases, a person familiar told CNN.

Cleary aligned with career prosecutors who opposed bringing the Comey case and sat in a back row, not at the government table, when Halligan presented the Comey indictment from the grand jury before the magistrate judge, according to the report.

The former FBI director was charged with two counts including making false statements to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding for testimony he gave in 2020.

Cleary’s exit is the latest in a series of departures and firings.

Top national security prosecutor Michael Ben’Ary was fired upon Halligan’s arrival after serving with the department for 20 years.

He accused the political leadership at the department of being “more concerned with punishing the President’s perceived enemies” than in protecting national security, in a note to colleagues he left behind.

Fellow prosecutor Maya Song was also ousted from the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Virginia last month.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-beauty-queen-prosecutor-begins-purging-doj-office/?

October 15, 2025

Trump Faces MAGA Backlash Over $20 Billion Foreign Bailout

The lifeline was offered to Argentina as countless Americans struggle with the shutdown and other cost pressures.

President Donald Trump faces a MAGA backlash after offering a $20 billion lifeline to Argentina, as thousands of federal workers face layoffs and soybean farmers bear the brunt of his sweetheart deal.

With the government shutdown entering its 14th day, Trump will welcome his Argentinian ally Javier Milei to the White House on Tuesday, as the Latin American leader seeks to stave off a financial crisis and political disaster for his country.

The meeting comes just days after the Trump administration agreed to provide Argentina with a $20 billion bailout, which would be in the form of a currency swap with the nation’s central bank.

However, some MAGA conservatives have joined Democrats to hit out at the administration for extending foreign assistance while federal workers remain furloughed, and more than 4000 received layoff notices on Friday as the Trump administration uses the shutdown to reshape the government.

Republicans from soybean-growing states have also angrily rebuked the move, arguing that it gives Argentina an unfair advantage in global markets—including China, which has traditionally been the biggest export market for U.S. soybeans.

“What are we doing? We’re buying out and doing a buyout with Argentina? Like, huh?” MAGA firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has increasingly broken ranks with her party, asked on The Tim Dillon Show.

Iowa Republican Scott Grassley was also critical, writing on X: “We [should] use leverage at every turn to help hurting farm economy. Family farmers [should] be top of mind in negotiations by representatives of USA,” he added.

John Bartam, a soybean farmer from Illinois, said Trump’s $20 billion lifeline had led to Argentina lowering their export tax, which resulted in China buying seven million tonnes of soybeans from them, at the expense of the U.S.

“MAGA now means Make Argentina Great Again,” he said on Tuesday.

The $20 billion lifeline was announced this month by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who insisted on Fox that it wasn’t a “bailout.”

The administration is instead framing the credit as a strategic intervention to stabilize Argentina’s flagging economy and shore up Milei’s pro-market reforms.

“The success of Argentina’s reform agenda is of systemic importance, and a strong, stable Argentina which helps anchor a prosperous Western Hemisphere is in the strategic interest of the United States,” said Bessent.

Milei is perhaps the Trump administration’s strongest backer in Latin America, where superpower rivalry with China is heating up.

The Argentine leader was also one of only two world leaders onstage at Trump’s inauguration and Trump has described him as his “favorite president.” He is also expected to attend a ceremony at the White House on Tuesday posthumously awarding Charlie Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

“Javier Milei is a very good friend, fighter, and WINNER, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election as President — He will never let you down!” Trump wrote on Truth Social last month as he announced his endorsement of Milei’s reelection campaign for Argentina’s 2027 presidential elections.

However, political observers and economic experts note that Argentina has a long history of squandering other people’s money and defaulting on its own debts.

Democrats have also attacked the administration because cash for Argentina is a betrayal of Trump’s “America First” agenda.

“It is inexplicable that President Trump is propping up a foreign government, while he shuts down our own,” said Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.

“Trump promised ‘America First,’ but he’s putting himself and his billionaire buddies first and sticking Americans with the bill.”

Trump’s Oval Office meeting comes as the shutdown continues into another week, grinding non-essential services to a halt and forcing more than 750,000 federal workers to stay home.

More than 4000 notices have also gone out to notify workers they face the sack, as Trump and his resident “grim reaper”, Russell Vought, use the shutdown to reshape the government.

Employees at the departments of Commerce, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Homeland Security and Treasury are among those affected.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-faces-maga-backlash-over-20-billion-foreign-bailout/?

October 15, 2025

2 Things in Project 2025 That Already Came True Under Trump

Donald Trump claimed he had never heard of Project 2025. Yet here he is, totally delivering on the right-wing fantasy.

Donald Trump disavowed any knowledge of Project 2025 throughout his 2024 presidential campaign. He may have been afraid that the detailed plan for his second term, commissioned by the right-wing Heritage Foundation, would alienate voters who saw it for what it was: an authoritarian scheme to consolidate power around the commander in chief and exclude those who did not support his agenda.

“I know nothing about Project 2025,” Trump posted on Truth Social in July 2024. “I have no idea who is behind it. I disagree with some of the things they’re saying and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal. Anything they do, I wish them luck, but I have nothing to do with them.”

Either Trump was dissembling at the time, or he and the Project 2025 writers were able to channel each other by some magical symbiosis. Since then, one provision after another of Project 2025 has become a reality via the president.

Fire Federal Workers

Central to the plan formulated by Project 2025—and actively pursued by Trump—is an exercise of power he often dramatized with two famous words on his TV show The Apprentice: “You’re fired!”

The 920-page Mandate for Leadership, which codifies Project 2025, holds that “personnel is policy” and that tight control of the people working for Trump is central to the overall goal of expanding presidential power.

“As the U.S. Constitution makes clear, the President’s appointment, direction, and removal authorities are the central elements of his executive power,” page 69 of the plan says, “In implementing that power, the people and the President deserve the most talented and responsible workforce possible. Who the President assigns to design and implement his political policy agenda will determine whether he can carry out the responsibility given to him by the American people.”

The plan adds, “The President must recognize that whoever holds a government position sets its policy. To fulfill an electoral mandate, he must therefore give personnel management his highest priority.”

Trump was no sooner starting his second term than he was managing personnel by getting rid of those who might hamper his vision. He’s firing bureaucrats by the thousands.

Now in his tenth month, Trump has welcomed the government shutdown as an opportunity to supersize these efforts—while blaming it all on the Democrats. He was free to abandon all pretense regarding Project 2025 when he announced on Oct. 2, one day after the shutdown began, that he was meeting with one of its prime architects to openly collude.

“I have a meeting today with Russ Vought, he of PROJECT 2025 Fame, to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies, most of which are a political SCAM, he recommends to be cut, and whether or not those cuts will be temporary or permanent,” Trump wrote.

Vought was director of the Office of Management and Budget in Trump’s first term and is now back in the same position, implementing the detailed plan Trump supposedly knew nothing about.

Vought said during the pre-election Project 2025 planning period that he wanted to traumatize civil servants so that they would not want to go to work. Trump gleefully dubbed him “The Grim Reaper” as they prepared to wreak havoc on what the plan calls the “administrative state.” They exulted at the prospect of using the shutdown as an excuse to tell thousands upon thousands of civil servants, “You’re fired!”

On Friday, Vought posted on X that the jobs cull had “begun.”

“I can’t believe the Radical Left Democrats gave me this unprecedented opportunity,” Trump wrote.

Slash Infrastructure Investment

Trump and Vought have already used the shutdown as a pretext to further a shared Trump/Project 2025 goal to cut infrastructure programs funded by the Biden administration.

“Roughly $18 billion in New York City infrastructure projects have been put on hold to ensure funding is not flowing based on unconstitutional DEI principles,” Vought posted on X. “Specifically, the Hudson Tunnel Project and the Second Ave Subway.”

That was not all.

“$2.1 billion in Chicago infrastructure projects—specifically the Red Line Extension and the Red and Purple Modernization Project—have been put on hold to ensure funding is not flowing via race-based contracting.”

Cut Climate Change Programs

Trump and Vought were also acting on a Project 2025 call to curtail programs funded to address climate change.

There was also this: “Nearly $8 billion in Green New Scam funding to fuel the Left’s climate agenda is being cancelled,” Vought posted. “The projects are in the following states: CA, CO, CT, DE, HI, IL, MD, MA, MN, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OR, VT, WA.”

In keeping with Project 2025’s recommendations, Trump issued an executive order abolishing the Office of Domestic Climate Policy and one to “immediately rollback Biden’s executive orders that prioritized addressing climate change.”

Damage the Department of Education

Trump and Project 2025 already had a common approach to the Department of Education, which has long been a target of conservative ire as a bastion of “wokeism.”

“Federal education policy should be limited and, ultimately, the federal Department of Education should be eliminated,” page 319 of the plan says.

Trump moved to do just that on March 20, with Executive Order 14242.

“Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities,” it read.

As an initial step, Trump laid off 40 percent of the department’s staff. But a federal judge interceded on the grounds that Trump would essentially be wrecking a department established and funded by Congress. Trump went to the Supreme Court, which ruled he could continue.

Hire MAGA True Believers

Many of the efforts at a host of agencies involved not just firing employees, but also restaffing. Project 2025 had assembled a database of individuals who had undergone political vetting. Among other things, the White House purged 200 from the National Security Council and restocked it with “staff aligned to the new President’s priorities.”

Weaponize ICE

The most obvious and continuing manifestation of the echoes between Trump and Project 2025 is the growing presence of masked federal agents on city streets.

Page 142 of the plan says, “The role of ICE Deportation Officers should be clarified. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) should be identified as being primarily responsible for enforcing civil immigration regulations, including the civil arrest, detention, and removal of immigration violators anywhere in the United States, without warrant where appropriate, subject only to the civil warrant requirements of the INA where appropriate.”

During his eight years in office, President Obama was able to round up and deport more than 2 million undocumented immigrants without much fuss. Trump generated drama with menacing masks and tactical gear. The resulting protests were no surprise. Nor was Trump’s decision to widely deploy the military as back-up, even if it was not needed.

In this instance, Trump went beyond Project 2025. He went even further by rebranding the Department of Defense the “Department of War.”

Ban Transgender Troops

Trump and Project 2025 converge on other issues regarding the military, including one involving gender identity as a determinant of lethality. Page 104 of the plan says, “Reverse policies that allow transgender individuals to serve in the military. Gender dysphoria is incompatible with the demands of military service… Restore standards of lethality and excellence."

Trump barred transgender individuals from the military with an executive order on Jan. 27, “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness.” The issue has gone to the U.S. Supreme Court, which has allowed the ban to continue pending a final decision.

Cut the Affordable Care Act

As Trump targets even more government employees for firing in the spirit of Project 2025, he continues to blame the Democrats, who say they cannot accept the administration’s health care cuts. Heretofore MAGA fanatic congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia has gone rogue on the issue, saying the cuts to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would cause her grown children’s health insurance premiums to rise beyond what they can afford. The change Trump moved to institute upon returning to office was already on page 469 of the Project 2025 plan before the election:

“Separate the subsidized ACA exchange market from the non-subsidized insurance market The Affordable Care Act has made insurance more expensive and less competitive, and the ACA subsidy scheme simply masks these impacts. To make health insurance coverage more affordable for those who are without government subsidies… Develop a plan to separate the non-subsidized insurance market from the subsidized market, giving the non-subsidized market regulatory relief from the costly ACA regulatory mandates.”

In other words, the insurance companies rake in more money and affordable care is no longer affordable.

“These premiums are going up,” a surprisingly rational Greene told reporters on Wednesday as the lone Republican in Congress to speak out against the Trump/Project 2025 move. “It’s a reality for Americans. I don’t think it’s something we can ignore.”

Defund PBS and NPR

Maybe if Greene’s kids were still young enough to watch Sesame Street, she might have also had something to say about the Trump/Project 2025 defunding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which provides funding to PBS and NPR. Page 246 of the Project 2025 plan says, “Every Republican President since Richard Nixon has tried to strip the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) of taxpayer funding… [They] have recognized that public funding of domestic broadcasts is a mistake.”

The Project 2025 playbook notes: “As a 35-year-old lawyer in the Nixon White House, one Antonin Scalia [future Supreme Court Justice] warned that conservatives were being “confronted with a long-range problem of significant social consequences—that is, the development of a government-funded broadcast system similar to the BBC. All of which means that the next conservative President must finally get this done.”

On May 1, Trump issued Executive Order 14290, titled “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Biased Media,” meaning PBS and NPR. Congress quickly approved cuts in the same funding it had provided with a bipartisan vote just last year.

Defunding Big Bird was just one of a host of Trump/Project 2025 culture war measures. The president also took Project 2025’s advice to “make the institutions of American civil society hard targets for woke culture warriors.”

End Diversity and Equality Programs

According to the Mandate for Leadership, the aforementioned “woke culture warriors” mandate “starts with deleting the terms sexual orientation and gender identity (‘SOGI’), diversity, equity, and inclusion, gender, gender equality, gender equity, gender awareness, gender-sensitive, abortion, reproductive health, reproductive rights, and any other term used to deprive Americans of their First Amendment rights out of every federal rule, agency regulation, contract, grant, regulation, and piece of legislation that exists.” In his second term, Trump immediately prohibited the use of words such as “diversity,“ “equity” and “inclusion” in government contracts and websites. He also banned DEI programs.

As proposed by Project 2025, the State Department also prohibited displaying “divisive symbols such as the rainbow flag or the Black Lives Matter flag” at U.S. embassies.

Quit Global Organizations

When it comes to international relations, Trump followed Project 2025’s advice to just walk away. The U.S. withdrew from the United Nations Human Rights Council, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Disrupt the Department of Justice

Among myriad other Trump/Project 2025 echoes, the president also addressed the Department of Justice, which the plan describes as a “bloated bureaucracy with a critical core of personnel who are infatuated with the perpetuation of a radical liberal agenda and the defeat of perceived political enemies.” Trump sought to replace it with a critical core of personnel seemingly infatuated with the perpetuation of a radical conservative agenda and the defeat of perceived political enemies, prominently including former FBI Director James Comey.

When an experienced and fair-minded U.S. attorney in Virginia reported there was insufficient evidence to indict Comey, Trump replaced him with an inexperienced loyalist who did as she was told.

These are just a few examples of how the Project 2025 plan is being enacted. An online Project 2025 tracker reports that Trump has achieved 48 percent of the plan’s 318 objectives, which have impacted 34 agencies.

But “personnel management”—meaning mass firings not temporary furloughs as in previous government shutdowns—remains at the core of the Trump/Project 2025 “second American revolution.”

Vought posted on X on Friday, the tenth day of the shutdown, that the scything was underway. The self described mortal enemy of the bureaucracy used a bureaucratic euphemism, Reduction in Force (RIF).

“The RIFs have begun,” Vought announced.

Trump told reporters that in the Oval Office that “people that the Democrats want” would be targeted.

“It’ll be Democrat-oriented because we figure, you know, they started this thing,” he said. “So they should be Democrat-oriented. It’ll be a lot.”

In a court filing later on Friday, the administration said that 4,100 people at 18 agencies would be receiving notices that essentially said, “You’re RIF’d!”

“I regret to inform you that you are being affected by a reduction in force (RIF) action,” reads a notice quoted by The New York Times. “After you receive this notice, you will be placed on administrative leave and no longer have building access beginning Friday, October 10.”

And we approach Halloween 2025 with a question: What’s scarier than a pair of gleeful grim reapers?

https://www.thedailybeast.com/12-things-in-project-2025-that-already-came-true-under-trump/?

October 15, 2025

US kills 6 people in strike on boat accused of carrying drugs near Venezuela, Trump says

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States struck another small boat accused of carrying drugs in the waters off Venezuela, killing six people, President Donald Trump said Tuesday.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-drugs-venezuela-boat-strike-af1a784864268707a76755a98615563e?

ps:So to prove how tough he is, he picks on weak countries?? Lets do that with Russia!!!!!!!!!!!

ICE’s use of full-body restraints during deportations raises concerns over inhumane treatment

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have been using a full-body restraint device called the WRAP during deportations. The device’s use was described to the AP by five people who said they were restrained, sometimes for hours, on ICE deportation flights as far back as 2020. A Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman says ICE’s use of the restraints is “fully in line with established legal standards.” Read more.

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North Carolina is the furniture capital of the US, but it has seen a lot of jobs move overseas in recent years. Some industry executives worry the help that’s on the way from the federal government will do more harm than good.

Snuffed out

The nation’s largest solar project, known as Esmeralda 7, was set to generate enough energy to power 2 million homes. The Trump administration quietly canceled it, sparking confusion and concern among Republicans and Democrats.

October 15, 2025

Don the Designer

Photo illustration of President Donald Trump wearing a construction worker's vest and tool belt

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters

Donald Trump is obsessing over remodeling the White House like no other president, Axios' Marc Caputo writes.

He has gilded the Oval Office, replaced trees, paved the Rose Garden lawn, hung art and mirrors all over, erected flagpoles and begun work on a $250 million ballroom.
He's not done: Trump has had models and dioramas built for other projects he's considering, and even directed how and where new marble-tiled floors are laid.

Why it matters: Long after Trump has exited the presidency, his imprint will be on the executive mansion in an unprecedented scope and scale — even if a successor removes the Oval Office gold leaf.

He's spent as many as 20 hours on some projects, aides say, engaging in impromptu design sessions between negotiating peace deals and talks over the government shutdown.
After strong-arming Benjamin Netanyahu into a Gaza ceasefire two weeks ago, Trump led the Israeli prime minister on a 40-minute tour of White House renovations. Last week, Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb got the same treatment.

? Zoom in: Last month, a delegation of Florida House lawmakers spent even more time with the president — well over an hour — as he showed them the new tile floors in the old washroom of the Lincoln Bedroom (statuary marble Trump had selected).

Trump led the guests outside to the new Rose Garden patio, and had them vote on new outdoor tiles. "He asked me to pick a tile," said one Floridian, declining to say how he voted.
"He asks everyone for a vote on everything," an adviser said. "We vote. Anybody that walks through gets a vote. He cares so deeply about perfection that this is what he does."

Recreating the Mar-a-Lago patio, Trump visits with Sen. Dave McCormick and Rep. Ronny Jackson during a dinner in September. Photo: Brian Snyder/Reuters

? As the new Rose Garden patio was coming together, Trump interrupted an Oval Office meeting with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to show off the new outdoor Bang & Olufsen sound system being installed (same brand as at Mar-a-Lago).

"We have a great speaker system," Trump, microphone in hand, boasted on Sept. 5 when he inaugurated the new Rose Garden Club. The guest list consisted of trusted Cabinet secretaries and advisers, and lawmakers who are reliable votes for his plans.
"You are the ones that I never had to call at 4 o'clock in the morning," he said.

The ongoing makeover is too garish for catty commenters on Reddit, and way too golden for The New York Times (which called it a "Gilded Rococo Nightmare"). Trump's team, officially, doesn't care.

"He's stamping his legacy on the presidency and on the White House forever," one senior adviser said. "No one can get rid of the ballroom. It will be difficult to take all of the gold away. Who would even do that?"

A White House aide, describing the "perfectionist" tendencies of the Luxury Resort Owner-in-Chief, said: "President [George W.] Bush liked to paint [in retirement]. Trump likes to build and design. This is his artistic outlet."

Story continues below.

October 15, 2025

Part 2: What Trump's eyeing next

President Trump has added gold ornamentation in the Oval Office. Photo: Ken Cedeno/Reuters

The president's wandering architectural eye is now gazing southwest from the White House to land around the Memorial Bridge. He wants to erect a giant arch as a grand entrance into Washington from Arlington National Cemetery, Marc Caputo continues.

"Let's build something like the Arc de Triomphe in that space, it would be beautiful when you drive or fly in," Trump told a White House visitor a few weeks ago.
Trump has three different-sized models of the "Arc de Trump" that he's been positioning on a map of D.C. to determine the right scale.
On Saturday, Trump posted on Truth Social a rendition of the arch by Washington architect Nicolas Leo Charbonneau.

?️ The models for the arch were 3D printed on Trump's orders by the architects involved in designing the new ballroom. He says it'd be privately funded, along with some of the other projects. The total cost is unclear.

Trump also 3D printed models of the ballroom on a diorama of the White House grounds that he fidgets with in the dining room during meals.
"The tenser things are, the more he moves the [diorama] pieces around in his spare time, or he takes a break and thinks about the marble he wants or the columns, whether they're going to be Corinthian or not," a White House official said.

Asked if Trump liked Doric or Ionic columns, the official said, "He's more of a Corinthian man."

Another aide said Trump "worked every single detail you can think of ... from where the bathrooms and plumbing are, to how many people will be able to sit in the ballroom, what material to use for the floor and the walls. How big the windows will be. He is literally the project manager."

Portraits of presidents (with an autopen for Joe Biden) hang in new golden frames along the White House's West Colonnade. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Elsewhere in and around the White House, Trump's changes have included:

? Trees on the South Lawn: He hated the look of some of the newer oaks, birch and maples and began replacing them with trees that have broader canopies and that, to him, are more aesthetically pleasing.
? The Palm Room: Late last month, Trump redid the hall connecting the front of the White House to the Rose Garden and West Colonnade by ripping up the tiles and replacing them with statuary marble. He insisted on "bookmatching" the new tiles so that the marble veins line up and make the floor appear as if it's one giant slab. He replaced the overhead lights with two Schonbeck chandeliers.

Along the Colonnade, portraits of the 44 other presidents, selected by Trump, are now hung in golden frames (of course) made of a composite to withstand the exterior conditions, as are the acrylic portraits.

Trump trolled his predecessor, Joe Biden, by hanging a mock portrait of an autopen instead of Biden himself.

Aides say Trump will probably replace it with an actual likeness of Biden eventually, but make no predictions.

"This is all the president's baby," one of the advisers said. "It's the Trump White House."

October 15, 2025

? 2025's biggest ad spender

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem saying

Screenshot: Department of Homeland Security/YouTube

The most expensive political ad campaign of the year is being run by the Department of Homeland Security, Axios' Brittany Gibson writes.

Why it matters: DHS disputes that its ads are political. But it has spent at least $51 million this year on ads thanking President Trump for securing the borders, according to AdImpact.

The next closest ad campaign is the $41 million effort to support California's redistricting measure, according to AdImpact.

The DHS ads promote Trump's mass deportation agenda in a series of direct-to-camera videos starring the face of the policy, Secretary Kristi Noem.
They're part of a $200 million fast-tracked contract pushing self-deportation.

ps:Why not!!

Federal workers

More than two weeks into the government shutdown, there is still no indication of meaningful progress toward resolving the stalemate. This comes as thousands of federal workers have been fired from their jobs while more than 1.4 million other government workers are furloughed or going without pay. The White House budget office said Tuesday that it is preparing to "ride out" the shutdown by continuing to lay off federal workers — but noted that US troops and law enforcement will receive their pay. President Trump also said Tuesday that he will release a list on Friday outlining which Democrat-backed programs will be cut if Congress remains deadlocked.

October 15, 2025

Police Chief Blows Up ICE Barbie Goon’s Story About Child Detained by ICE

Tricia McLaughlin said a seventh-grader detained by ICE and sent to another state had been “in possession of a firearm” when he was arrested.

A police chief has revealed that no gun was found on a 13-year-old boy who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement despite a top Department of Homeland Security official’s claims.

Reports that a seventh-grader had been arrested by federal agents and taken to a juvenile detention center more than 500 miles away from his family sparked widespread outrage.

Amid the social media furor, Tricia McLaughlin, who as assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security is Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s top communications official, went to bat for ICE on her official social media account.

She posted on X: “Here are the facts: he posed a public safety threat with an extensive rap sheet including violent assault with a dangerous weapon, battery, breaking and entering, destruction of property. He was in possession of a firearm and 5-7 inch knife when arrested.”

DHS then followed suit, posting: “Not only was this individual in possession of a firearm and a 5-7 inch knife when arrested, he also had an EXTENSIVE rap sheet.”

However, according to officials, McLaughlin’s “facts” around the ICE detention weren’t entirely true.

At a City Hall news conference on Tuesday in Everett, Massachusetts, city Mayor Carlo DeMaria said officers had recovered a 6–7 inch double-edged knife from the boy during the arrest last Thursday at Albert N. Parlin School but “no firearm,” a detail confirmed by Everett Police Chief Paul Strong and reported by The Boston Globe.

The boy was booked at the station and then taken into ICE custody. He is now being held at the 32-bed Northwestern Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Winchester, Virginia.

During the presser, DeMaria also said the cops did not contact ICE about the juvenile: “Everett police does not make arrests based on immigration status,” the Globe reported.

While McLaughlin claimed that the child had an “extensive rap sheet,” journalist Marisa Kabas reported that neither the mayor nor the police chief made any mention of him having a criminal history.

The Daily Beast has contacted the Everett Police Department to confirm whether the boy has a criminal history, as alleged by McLaughlin and DHS.

On Tuesday evening, Kabas posted on Bluesky that she had asked ICE if they stood by McLaughlin’s post. She said a spokesperson said DHS “was working on a response. Five hours later, still nothing.”

McLaughlin is a regular mouthpiece for DHS on network television news channels, and her X account features a clip of her arguing with an ABC News host in which she boasts, “I can do this all day.”

As the Daily Beast reported on Tuesday, McLaughlin made a false claim about the violent arrest of an American teen girl in a clip that went viral.

With community anger swelling on Tuesday night, and with classmates and immigrant-rights groups packing Everett’s council chamber and demanding the child’s return to Massachusetts, there was also anger directed toward the DHS and McLaughlin.

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, said on X: “Yet another sign @DHSgov and [McLaughlin]’s ‘fact checks’ are not trustworthy."

Last month, the Beast reported that a “fact check” McLaughlin had posted on the DHS website about a mom who miscarried a baby in ICE custody had falsely accused her of being a wanted killer.

Despite these posts having been proven to contain false information, all three remain online at the time of publication.

The Daily Beast contacted DHS, McLaughlin, and the Everett Police Department for comment. McLaughlin told the Beast: “We stand by our statements and the facts.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/police-chief-blows-up-ice-barbie-goons-story-about-child-detained-by-ice/?

October 15, 2025

‘Scammed’ MAGA Crypto Influencer Fumes Over Trump Dinner Disaster

The influencer says his feelings about the president have changed.

A MAGA crypto influencer who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on Trump meme coins to attend a private dinner with President Donald Trump has spoken out against the 79-year-old.

“I look at Trump differently than I did before attending,” Nick Pinto told the Daily Beast in a statement on Tuesday.

Pinto, 25, attended a dinner at Trump National Golf Club in Virginia on May 22. The ticket cost him $370,000 at the time of the dinner, according to the Australian news program Four Corners, which interviewed Pinto on the disappointing dinner for an episode titled “Chasing Trump’s Billions” this week.

In a TikTok video Pinto filmed during the event, he said Trump left the dinner without even eating. He told Four Corners he now realizes “the entire dinner was about making money.”

In January, 200 million $TRUMP meme coins were released to the public. The top 220 purchasers of the coin received access to the “black-tie optional” dinner. At least $148 million was spent by supporters on tickets for the evening, according to Reuters.

The event was advertised as “Have dinner with Donald Trump,” and “the most exclusive invitation in the world” with the “Crypto President!” Protesters outside the dinner held signs saying “America is not for sale” and “Stop Trump’s crypto corruption.”

Pinto, who works as a marketing director at his brother’s law firm, was No.72 on the list of $TRUMP coin leader board after his $370,000 outlay. The Top 25 on the “leader board” of coin purchasers got a tour of the White House and an “ultra private VIP reception” with Trump.

Pinto says he was hoping to get a picture with Trump at the dinner or record a TikTok video with him. Pinto has 407,000 followers on the platform, where his videos have had over 6 million likes. He has 2.5 million followers on Instagram.

“I was hoping to maybe do a trend or some short video with him, maybe 15 seconds,” Pinto told Four Corners. “It’s not going to take much of his time.”

A suited-up Pinto complained on TikTok during the dinner, saying, “Trump came, gave a speech for, I think, exactly 23 minutes, and then he left. His helicopter was right back there, left pretty quickly, didn’t stay for the dinner. Maybe he’ll come back.”

He said on Four Corners he soon realized there was “no hope” of Trump returning.

“He came, didn’t eat, didn’t drink water. I don’t think he even used the bathroom,” Pinto said. “He just left immediately on his helicopter. I would say the entire dinner was about making money.”

In another TikTok video after the dinner, Pinto filmed inside a Lamborghini, where he said “pretty much all he got” from the dinner was a black cap with “$TRUMP” and “FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT” printed on it. “They gave it away to everyone, they had 220 bags.” The video has now had 1.2 million views.

Another video shows him displaying the cap, along with a poster and a lanyard he received at the event.

When Four Corners asked if he felt ripped off, Pinto said, “I would say in a way, I do feel like I maybe kind of got scammed because it was definitely false advertising. They did advertise it as having dinner with Trump. And Trump did not eat anything at all, at least just drink a Diet Coke with us or something like that [then] we definitely would not have felt like we were scammed by him.”

The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.

Speaking to the Daily Beast on Tuesday, Pinto said he remains disillusioned with the president after the dinner experience.

“I look at Trump differently than I did before attending. I have not been able to get the TikTok I wanted to get with the president and I don’t even want to make a video with him even if he let me.”

However, Pinto admitted he has held onto almost all of his $TRUMP coins.

“I am hoping they announce another dinner or something similar that will spike the price again and I can sell it for more than what I bought it for,” he said.

“If they don’t, I’ll keep holding as I don’t need the funds at the moment.”

Pinto told the Daily Beast his $TRUMP coins were at one point worth $480,000.

The $TRUMP coin is currently trading at $6.26, down more than 3 percent from yesterday.

Pinto revealed he has previously voted for Trump, but has now changed his mind.

“I wouldn’t vote for Donald again, I may consider voting for his children, however, as I’ve met Eric and Donald Jr. and both were humble enough to talk to me,” he told the Daily Beast. “Eric even let me take photo with him on two different occasions.”

Pinto was part of a report by Australian news program Four Corners on Monday, hosted by John Lyons, the journalist whom Trump berated at the White House after he asked how much richer Trump was now than during his first presidency, after his various business deals.

Lyons, who works for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, had been investigating how much wealth Trump has accumulated since becoming president.

Last month he clashed with Trump after Lyons asked him whether a president in office “should be engaged in so much business activity.”

“Well, I’m really not. My kids are running the business. I’m here,” Trump said, before asking where Lyons was from. “In my opinion, you are hurting Australia very much right now, and they want to get along with me.”

Trump then told Lyons to be “quiet” and took questions from other reporters.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/scammed-maga-crypto-influencer-fumes-over-disaster-trump-dinner/?

October 15, 2025

Prosecutors Pushed Out After Refusing to Bow to Trump Pressure

An assistant U.S. attorney in Virginia has resigned following the departure of his boss.

Two prosecutors have been forced out over disagreements into how to handle the Trump administration’s response to an earlier FBI investigation into Russian involvement in the 2016 election.

Todd Gilbert, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia, resigned in August, in part after refusing to fire Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Lee. Lee, himself, has now stepped down from his role as acting U.S. attorney, The New York Times reports.

Trump has pressured U.S. attorneys to follow through on prosecutions and investigations of political enemies.

The resignations come amid disagreements over whether to open a grand jury investigation into the FBI’s handling of the Russia investigation, particularly to examine whether anybody at the bureau had mishandled classified documents.

President Donald Trump has long considered the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election to be indicative of a “witch hunt” against him.

According to The New York Times, FBI Director Kash Patel reportedly ordered Gilbert to investigate the issue of classified documents being stored in “burn bags” at FBI headquarters, which they believe is indicative of agents engaging in the deliberate destruction of evidence. Sensitive documents that have been printed are often destroyed after use as a security measure, as they are primarily stored on computers.

Having reviewed the evidence, Gilbert concluded that there was not sufficient evidence to warrant a grand jury investigation. Attorney General Pam Bondi sought to blame Lee, who they viewed as a Biden holdover and who they felt swayed Gilbert unfairly.

Gilbert was then ordered to replace Lee as his deputy and pressured to remove him entirely.

Justice Department officials told Gilbert that he would be fired, and he resigned soon after.

After resigning, Gilbert reposted a photo taken at his swearing-in ceremony, adding a GIF from the 2004 film Anchorman that says, “Boy, that escalated quickly.”

In another social media post made on Monday following news of Lee’s resignation, Gilbert expressed his support for his former deputy.

“Zach Lee is a consummate professional and respected career prosecutor. I quickly learned to appreciate and respect his talent and wisdom. Zach dutifully carried out his duties for years no matter the situation, and his departure is a tremendous loss to all,” Gilbert wrote.

In a statement to The Roanoke Times, Lee announced his decision to transition to the private sector. “As I make my transition from a career in public service to the private sector, I could think of no firm I’d rather join than Gentry Locke,” the statement read. He will be joining the firm’s white collar defense, investigations, and compliance practice.

Robert Tracci, whom Gilbert was told to replace Lee with, is now serving as acting U.S. attorney for the district.

While The New York Times reports that the investigation has seemingly petered out, Trump has managed to secure indictments against other political enemies, including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, in the last couple of months.

A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment to the Daily Beast.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/prosecutors-pushed-out-after-refusing-to-bow-to-trump-pressure/?

October 16, 2025

Judge temporarily blocks the Trump administration from firing workers during the government shutdown

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from firing workers during the government shutdown, saying the cuts appeared to be politically motivated and were being carried out without much thought.

https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-layoffs-trump-unions-b312b3ca77cbdbc72e778ece3b2cbffc?

October 16, 2025

Furious MAGA Customers Say They Got ‘Scammed’ by Trump Watches

The majority of reviewers on Trustpilot gave Trump Watches one star.

Some MAGA supporters who paid for Donald Trump watches are seriously ticked off. The majority of reviews for GetTrumpWatches on Trustpilot give the company just one star, with some people complaining that it is a “scam.”

The timepieces are made by TheBestWatchesonEarth LLC and range from $499 to $2,999 per watch, or $5,389 for the “Ultra Mega Collector Set.” The president has been criticized for hawking them on cable TV as a government shutdown drags on over healthcare funding.

A Daily Beast review of the site’s Trustpilot profile uncovers a string of poor reviews, with 57 percent of the 30 customers who have rated the watches at the time of publication giving the company just one star. Another 3 percent of reviewers gave it two stars. Trustpilot is one of the internet’s leading review sites, though the Daily Beast cannot independently verify the accuracy of the complaints.

The overall 2.8-star rating appears to suggest a record of over-promising and under-delivering. Reviews cite delays, non-arrivals, and ignored demands for refunds.

Many accounts appear to come from fans of Trump, who does not tend to wear a watch himself.

“My daughters ordered a Trump watch and after 5 months of waiting have not received anything. It’s a shame this company is not holding to President Trump’s high standards. This was a present for my 80th birthday!” wrote one MAGA supporter on July 14.

Another customer, Timothy M. Reynolds, warned on April 29, “DO NOT order anything from these people,” while L.S. wrote on March 21, “Took my money then nothing. It finally dawned on me I was scammed. AVOID ORDERING ANYTHING FROM THESE PEOPLE.”

Another, Michael, posted 11 days earlier, “No watch delivered. Endless lines of ‘customer service’ hollow… responses.”

The outrage is not limited to domestic customers. “Ordered a watch juli 10. Haven’t got it yet,” posted Swede Rainer Lüddeckens on Sept. 5. Mike from Norway posted on June 7, “I plan to sue. This is a scam!”

On Jan. 8 Lemme be Frank, from Switzerland—a country famed for its watches—wrote, “Absolutely horrible customer service. Do not buy any of these garbage products. Avoid like the plague!!”

The customer criticism is all the more pointed given that Marco Rubio, Trump’s secretary of state, said in 2016, “If he hadn’t inherited $200 million, you know where Donald Trump would be right now? Selling watches in Manhattan.”

But if the negative reviews are to be believed, the 79-year-old’s attempts to corner this market are not going very well.

The Daily Beast contacted TheBestWatchesonEarth LLC on Saturday for comment. An autoresponse warned, “Please note that we may have received a large number of requests and may take additional time to provide you with a response.”

The organization followed up minutes later to thank the Beast for bringing the string of customer complaints to their attention and said the matter had been escalated to its head of customer service, who would “handle the matter and provide… necessary feedback.”

The following day, the head of customer service, a man known only as Ryan, replied to say the reviews seemed to be—what else—“fake” news.

He said “tens of thousands of satisfied people have purchased Trump Watches” and claimed that two of the irate reviewers had since had their complaints resolved.

“On GetTrumpWatches.com, you can see real verified testimonials of people loving their TRUMP watches,” Ryan added. None of the reviews on the website is less than five stars.

Not all the Trustpilot reviewers are furious at the product. Thirty-three percent gave the watches five-star reviews.

U.S.-based dsgreen wrote on July 31—“I LOVE IT! Even my jeweler said it feels like a Rolex.” Fellow American Kathy Millard on May 9 called her watch “WELL WORTH THE WAIT,” and Greg on May 4 praised the packaging and auto-wind movement after receiving his order two days earlier.

But despite some customer positivity, there is a familiar pattern of lofty promises, sliding deadlines, and shifting explanations.

One U.S. buyer, TERRY BARBER, said a limited-edition “Red” model arrived May 31 but began gaining minutes weekly and has been in repair since July 28. A “Horrible company,” he declared.

Another reviewer alleged a $2,999 order placed Jan. 3 was repeatedly delayed through the spring despite refund requests.

In the fine print, the seller warns of long lead times and “estimates only” shipping, which may explain why many complaints center on timing and refunds.

TheBestWatchesonEarth LLC also stresses in its licensing arrangement that it is not the Trump Organization or a campaign.

It says, “Trump Watches are not designed, manufactured, distributed or sold by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization or any of their respective affiliates.”

While Trump appears in the TV commercial for the watches, which is also hosted on the company’s website, there’s no public figure for Trump’s personal cut from the deal.

In another move befitting Trump’s checkered business past, the watches are marketed as “Swiss-made,” but corporate breadcrumbs point stateside. CNN reported in October last year that corporate records for TheBestWatchesonEarth LLC trace not to a Swiss atelier but to a registered-agent address in a Wyoming shopping center.

The site’s FAQs do not name a factory location, while manufacturing origin remains opaque in public materials.

Last Friday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom mocked Trump’s TV pitches for the timepiece, which touted “Fight Fight Fight” models as collectible pieces of Trump history.

The tone-deaf ad landed as Obamacare subsidies are at risk during the federal government shutdown, with health policy research organization KFF estimating that average annual premiums paid by subsidized enrollees could increase by 114 percent if Congress doesn’t act.

Newsom responded with a social media post in Trumpian caps: “NO HEALTH CARE FOR YOU BUT YOU MUST BUY MY WATCH!!”

Selling timepieces is just one of numerous get-rich-quick schemes Trump has reportedly been involved in during his two terms as president.

A New Yorker investigation estimated that by the end of his second term, Trump and his family will have taken in more than $3.4 billion, largely from deals and investments that likely hinged on his presidency.

Forbes pegs Trump’s wealth at roughly $7.3 billion, putting the immediate family’s combined wealth near $10 billion.

The Trump Organization did not return a request for comment.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/furious-maga-customers-say-they-got-scammed-by-trump-watches/?

October 16, 2025

Appallingly Racist GOP Group Chat With ‘251’ Slurs Is Leaked

One Republican operative reportedly wrote, “I love Hitler,” and referred to Black Americans as “the watermelon people.”

A leaked Telegram group chat between Republican operatives has provided a chilling glimpse into how racist some of the party’s up-and-coming figures act behind closed doors.

The chat, complete with 251 slurs—including the N-word, “f----t,” and a declaration of love for Hitler—included “Young Republican” leaders from around the United States, reports Politico, which obtained and reviewed thousands of private messages.

The since-resigned vice chair of the New York State Young Republicans, Peter Giunta, was described as “the most prominent voice in the chat spreading racist messages.”

Giunta, 31, of Staten Island, repeatedly shared hateful rhetoric against Black people in particular, the report noted.

He is said to have texted “I love Hitler,” referred to Black people as “the watermelon people,” and advised chatmates to “scream the no-no word” if they board a plane and see the pilot is a woman with skin “10 shades darker than someone from Sicily.”

The GOP operative is also accused of responding to someone asking about an NBA game by writing, “I’d go to the zoo if I wanted to watch monkey play ball.”

Politico reported that Giunta texted in June that those voting against him were “going to the gas chamber.”

Giunta was named a “New York City 40 Under 40 Rising Star” by City & State New York in 2019 and, until Tuesday evening, was the chief of staff for New York State Assemblymember Michael Reilly.

Though Reilly’s office did not respond to a request for comment from the Daily Beast, SILive.com reported on Thursday evening that Giunta, who has since made his X profile private and deactivated his account on LinkedIn, was fired by Reilly over the alleged texts.

When reached by Politico, Giunta said the leaked texts may have been “doctored” and were part of an intra-party rift between him and the New York City Young Republican Club, a different entity from the chapter he presided over until last month.

“These logs were sourced by way of extortion and provided to Politico by the very same people conspiring against me,” he said.

Giunta also apologized.

“I am so sorry to those offended by the insensitive and inexcusable language found within the more than 28,000 messages of a private group chat that I created during my campaign to lead the Young Republicans,” he said. “While I take complete responsibility, I have had no way of verifying their accuracy and am deeply concerned that the message logs in question may have been deceptively doctored.”

The chat was reportedly created to talk strategy for an upcoming election for chair of the Young Republican National Federation—the party’s organization for Republicans between 18 and 40 years old that has about 15,000 members.

Giunta was running for chair and scored endorsements from top allies of President Donald Trump, including Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik and Roger Stone. Both MAGA figures have since condemned his alleged remarks.

Politico reports that Giunta texted in June that those voting against him for chair were “going to the gas chamber.” Two members in that chat responded with questionable texts of their own.

“Can we fix the showers? Gas chambers don’t fit the Hitler aesthetic,” Joe Maligno, who was the general counsel for the New York State Young Republicans, allegedly wrote back, according to Politico.

Annie Kaykaty, New York’s national committee member, allegedly chimed in to say, “I’m ready to watch people burn now.”

Alex deGrasse, a senior adviser for Stefanik, told Politico that the lawmaker “was absolutely appalled to learn about the alleged comments made by leaders of the New York State Young Republicans” and others.

Giunta was far from the only Republican accused of sending racist texts in the chat.

William Hendrix, the Kansas Young Republicans’ vice chair, used the N-word more than a dozen times in the chat with the spelling ending in “ga” and “guh,” Politico reports. Bobby Walker, vice chair of the New York State Young Republicans, reportedly referred to rape as “epic.”

Politico reports that Walker texted another chat member in July, “Stay in the closet f----t,” and said that the chairman of the Young Republicans’ national chapter was in the “f----t bunker.”

“My people built the train tracks with the Chinese,” Walker reportedly wrote in the chat at another point, referring to his Italian ancestors.

“Let his people go!” Maligno is said to have responded. “Keep the ch--ks, though.”

Walker apologized in a statement to Politico.

“There is no excuse for the language and tone in messages attributed to me. The language is wrong and hurtful, and I sincerely apologize,” Walker said. “This has been a painful lesson about judgment and trust, and I am committed to moving forward with greater care, respect, and accountability in everything I say and do.”

Walker is said to have acknowledged in the chat how bad it would be if it ever became public.

“If we ever had a leak of this chat, we would be cooked fr fr,” he wrote, according to Politico.

Hendrix, who worked as a communications specialist for the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, was fired from his position on Thursday after his remarks were presented to the office, reports The Topeka Capital-Journal and Politico.

The 24-year-old, who unsuccessfully ran for Topeka City Council in 2021, is accused of writing in July, “Bro is in a chicken restaurant ordering his food. Would he like some watermelon and Kool-Aid with that?”

Hendrix is also accused of texting messages that disparaged gay people. Politico reports that he wrote that he was drawn to Missouri’s Young Republican organization because “Missouri doesn’t like f--s.”

Hendrix did not respond to a request for comment from Politico or the Daily Beast.

“We are appalled by the vile and inexcusable language revealed in the Politico article published today,” a statement posted to social media by the National Young Republicans’ Board of Directors said.

“Such behavior is disgraceful, unbecoming of any Republican, and stands in direct opposition to the values our movement represents.”

The Board called for “those involved” to “immediately resign from all positions within their state and local Young Republican organizations,” adding, “We must hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity, respect, and professionalism.”

Not all appeared to be as appalled, however. Vice President JD Vance said he would “refuse to join the pearl clutching” over a “college group chat,” in a post on X, referencing the text scandal surrounding Democratic attorney general nominee for Virginia Jay Jones.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/appallingly-racist-gop-group-chat-with-251-slurs-is-leaked/?

October 16, 2025

Trump Brags About Surviving Assassination Attempt at Charlie Kirk Ceremony

The Presidential Medal of Freedom places Kirk in the company of Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks.

President Donald Trump has faced backlash after bragging about his ability to dodge bullets at an event honoring assassinated activist Charlie Kirk.

Speaking at a White House ceremony to posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Trump also talked up his Middle East peace deal and DC’s crime crackdown, vented against ABC veteran George Stephanopoulos and boasted about his 2024 election victory.

But it was the president’s comments about cheating death that raised the most eyebrows.

Speaking about political violence in America, Trump accused people on “the left” of ramming vehicles at federal law enforcement and firing sniper rifles at ICE agents - “and me.”

“But I made a turn at a good time. I made a turn at a good time - I turned to the right,” he said, referencing the life-saving moment he miraculously shifted his head and avoided the bullet of would-be assassin Thomas Michael Crooks in Pennsylvania last year.

“Charlie couldn’t believe it, actually.”

The remark, made as Trump stood next to Kirk’s grieving widow Erika, was immediately criticized for being insensitive.

“He’s bragging he’s so much better at dodging bullets than Charlie. Unbelievable,” quipped one political observer on X.

“Only Trump could turn someone else’s tragedy into a story about his ear,” said another, referencing the way the president’s ear was only clipped by the bullet.

“Nothing says honoring someone else’s life like talking about yourself the whole f---ing time,” a Democrat from New Jersey fumed.

The White House did not immediately return a request for comment on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s ceremony took place on what would have been Kirk’s 32nd birthday.

It comes five weeks after the Turning Point founder was assassinated on stage during an event at Utah Valley University, which invited college students to debate hot-button issues such as trans rights and gun control.

Trump was the first to announce Kirk’s death, and immediately flagged that he would receive the presidential medal of freedom - the highest civilian honor in the United States.

The award now places Kirk in the company of luminaries such as Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr and Rosa Parks.

Kirk’s widow Erika received the award on her husband’s behalf during a ceremony on the White House’s newly paved “Rose Garden Club”, delivering tearful remarks on his life and legacy to an audience filled with family, friends and the MAGA faithful.

Fox News hosts Sean Hannity, Jesse Watters and Laura Ingraham were among the guests, along with their former colleague Tucker Carlson, right wing influencers Benny Johnson and Jack Posobiec, and Trump cabinet secretaries Kash Patel, Doug Burgum, Marco Rubio and Howard Lutnick.

“To live free is the greatest gift but to die free is the greatest victory,” Erika told the crowd.

“Happy birthday, my Charlie… Happy freedom day.”

Trump also paid tribute to Kirk, describing him as as “a fearless warrior for liberty, a beloved leader who galvanized the next generation like nobody has ever seen before, and an American patriot of the deepest conviction.”

He also talked about how Kirk had told him about wanting to marry Erika, and had described her to him as both beautiful and smart.

“See, they do go together,” Trump said, suggesting women could be smart, or beautiful, but not both.

“Not often, but on occasion.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-brags-about-surviving-assassination-attempt-at-charlie-kirk-ceremony/?

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